Monday's Expert - 2020 NRL Round 7

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Monday's Expert is back in 2020 - each week providing a full wrap of everything happening around the rugby league traps each Monday.

Each edition will include NRL match review charges & judiciary updates, our player of the year leaderboard, crowd stats, TV ratings and injury news.

First things first...

Our Round 7 wrap of NRL results can be found here. The full 2020 draw can be viewed here.

Match reports for NRL matches are here.

A huge thanks to the following legends for putting hard work into our weekly previews and live blogs of NRL games - Rob Crosby, Sam Bourke, Josh Robertson, Justin Davies, Andrew Jackson, Andrew Ferguson, Jeff Dickinson-Fox, Rick Edgerton, Paul Jobber, Adam Huxtable and Hamish Parker.

The Front Row - online rugby league magazine

Make sure you check out our exclusive match program & online magazine - THE FRONT ROW.

Last week's issue showcased Kalyn Ponga and Christian Welch. You can check out the current edition plus back issues here.

Keep an eye out this Wednesday for Issue 6 (Round 8).

Match review

Four charges stemming from Round 7 of the NRL.

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (Warriors)

Grade 1 Shoulder Charge
61st min, on F Kaufusi (Storm)
Base penalty 200 points
7 year incident-free discount (25%)
Guilty / no contest = 150 points (1 match)
Guilty - early plea = 100 points (1 match)
PLEA: Not guilty - challenge at judiciary
OUTCOME: Guilty. Suspended 1 match. 50 carryover points accrued.

Joe Ofahengaue (Broncos)

Grade 1 Shoulder Charge
73rd min, on S Lisone (Titans)
Base penalty 200 points
2 x similar prior offence last 2 years (40% loading)
27 carryover points to add
Guilty / no contest = 280+27=307 points (3 matches)
Guilty - early plea = 210+27=237 points (2 matches)
PLEA: Guilty - early plea
OUTCOME: Suspended 2 matches. 37 carryover points accrued.

Corey Oates (Broncos)

Grade 1 Contrary Conduct
75th min, on P Gough (referee)
Base penalty $750 fine
Guilty / no contest = $750 fine
Guilty - early plea = $550 fine
PLEA: Guilty - early plea
OUTCOME: $550 fine.

Jordan Rapana (Raiders)

Grade 1 Careless High Tackle
40th min, on D Alvaro (Eels)
Base penalty $750 fine
Guilty / no contest = $750 fine
Guilty - early plea = $550 fine
PLEA: Guilty - early plea
OUTCOME: $550 fine.

The LU Leaderboard

At the conclusion of each match our reporters will choose their best three players from the match. You can views those points in each match in their respective match reports. Each week we'll update the leaderboard.

11 points - Tom Trbojevic (Sea Eagles)

10 points - Brett Morris (Roosters), Cameron Munster (Storm)

9 points - Nathan Cleary (Panthers)

8 points - Cameron Smith (Storm), Jason Taumalolo (Cowboys)

7 points - Shaun Johnson (Sharks), Matthew Dufty (Dragons), James Tedesco (Roosters)

6 points - Dylan Brown (Eels), Matt Burton (Panthers), Mitchell Pearce (Knights), Jack Wighton (Raiders), Latrell Mitchell (Rabbitohs)

5 points - Jarrod Croker (Raiders), Harry Grant (Storm), Benji Marshall (Wests Tigers), Kodi Nikorima (Warriors), Blake Green (Warriors), Luke Brooks (Wests Tigers), Isaah Yeo (Panthers), Kalyn Ponga (Knights), Daniel Saifiti (Knights), Ashley Taylor (Titans), Will Hopoate (Bulldogs), Jahrome Hughes (Storm), Sione Katoa (Bulldogs), Mitchell Moses (Eels), David Klemmer (Knights), Adam Reynolds (Rabbitohs)

4 points - George Williams (Raiders), Shaun Lane (Eels), Curtis Sironen (Sea Eagles), Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (Bulldogs), Luke Keary (Roosters)

3 points - Young Tonumaipea (Titans), Addin Fonua-Blake (Sea Eagles), Jesse Ramien (Sharks), Joseph Leilua (Wests Tigers), Scott Drinkwater (Cowboys), Josh Morris (Sharks), Maika Sivo (Eels), Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Roosters), Kotoni Staggs (Broncos), Jake Clifford (Cowboys), Stephen Crichton (Panthers), Viliame Kikau (Panthers), Jake Trbojevic (Sea Eagles), Jamayne Isaako (Broncos), David Nofoaluma (Wests Tigers), Daly Cherry-Evans (Sea Eagles), Cody Walker (Rabbitohs), Waqa Blake (Eels)

2 points - Jorge Taufua (Sea Eagles), Corey Norman (Dragons), Dale Finucane (Storm), Reagan Campbell-Gillard (Eels), Blayke Brailey (Sharks), Emre Guler (Raiders), David Fifita (Broncos), Kurt Mann (Knights), Jarome Luai (Panthers), Ronaldo Mulitalo (Sharks), Corey Thompson (Wests Tigers), Anthony Milford (Broncos), Nick Cotric (Raiders), James Fisher-Harris (Panthers), Clinton Gutherson (Eels), Nathan Brown (Eels), Lindsay Collins (Roosters), Cameron McInnes (Dragons), Bradman Best (Knights), Adam Doueihi (Wests Tigers), Michael Morgan (Cowboys), Michael Jennings (Eels)

1 point - Josh Reynolds (Wests Tigers), Ryan Papenhuyzen (Storm), Sam Lisone (Titans), Elliott Whitehead (Raiders), Tom Opacic (Cowboys), Chad Townsend (Sharks), Kyle Flanagan (Roosters), Zac Lomax (Dragons), Eliesa Katoa (Warriors), Thomas Flegler (Broncos), Daniel Tupou (Roosters), Tui Kamikamica (Storm), Connor Watson (Knights), Tyrell Fuimaono (Dragons), Coen Hess (Cowboys), Phillip Sami (Titans), Tevita Pangai Junior (Broncos), Ethan Lowe (Rabbitohs), Alex Twal (Wests Tigers), Valentine Holmes (Cowboys), Reed Mahoney (Eels), Brian Kelly (Titans), Adam Elliott (Bulldogs), Payne Haas (Broncos), Peta Hiku (Warriors), Herman Ese'ese (Knights), Jaydn Su'A (Rabbitohs), Wade Graham (Sharks), Josh Papali'i (Raiders), Apisai Koroisau (Panthers), Cameron Murray (Rabbitohs)

Sore points - injury update

Injury news that came out of Round 7

George Williams (CAN) - nose - monitored
Corey Horsburgh (CAN) - foot - scans
Joe Tapine (CAN) - knee - scans
Will Hopoate (CBY) - ankle - scans
Cameron Munster (MEL) - knee - scans
Josh Dugan (CRO) - calf - monitored
Matt Lodge (BRI) - leg - monitored
Mitchell Moses (PAR) - calf - scans
Victor Radley (SYD) - ACL - season
Sam Verrills (SYD) - ACL - season
Josh Mansour (PEN) - knee - Round 8
Christian Welch (MEL) - HIA - monitored
Josh Addo-Carr (MEL) - HIA - monitored
Tim Glasby (NEW) - HIA - monitored
Jacob Host (SGI) - hamstring - scans

The good news - who's back?

The following players are likely or possible to return from injury or suspension this weekend.

Broncos - Cory Paix, Kotoni Staggs
Raiders - Joe Tapine
Titans - Tyrone Roberts
Sea Eagles - Moses Suli
Knights - Bradman Best
Panthers - Josh Mansour
Roosters - James Tedesco
Warriors - Lachlan Burr, David Fusitu'a, Jazz Tevaga
Wests Tigers - Russell Packer

Metrics Metrics Metrics

Each week we'll also do our best to keep you across the crowd figures and TV ratings which are often the most talked-about parts of the game.

Hopefully we'll be able to bring you crowd stats in a few more weeks as things return to a new normal post-COVID.

Ratings: Round 7

One last thing...

It's an interesting time in all states with the Victorian spike in COVID-19 cases. As many would be aware, the Storm have been forced to relocate home games - first to Kogarah and now Brisbane. They may be expected to remain outside Victoria for weeks to come at this stage.

Here's hoping things calm down. Regardless, there are a series of venue changes ahead of this weekend - check out the full NRL draw here.